Virtue in the Media World

Anthropomorphism

The Danger of Dishonest Anthropomorphism in Chatbot Design

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on January 8, 2024

Chatbot designers engage in dishonest anthropomorphism by designing features to exploit our heuristic processing and dupe us into overtrusting and assigning moral responsibility.

Chatbot designers engage in dishonest anthropomorphism by designing features to exploit our heuristic processing and dupe us into overtrusting and assigning moral responsibility.

Artificial Intelligence

Chatbots Are a Valuable Tool—and a Moral Test for Us All

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on July 17, 2023

Chatbots promise to be a valuable tool, but also a moral test. Are we headed for failure? Yes, if we ignore social media history. Here are ways to boost our moral deliberation.

Chatbots promise to be a valuable tool, but also a moral test. Are we headed for failure? Yes, if we ignore social media history. Here are ways to boost our moral deliberation.

Diet

How Good Is Your News Diet?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on November 3, 2022

How healthy is your news diet? Election season is a good time to consider the quality of our information sources and the fact that we get what we pay for.

How healthy is your news diet? Election season is a good time to consider the quality of our information sources and the fact that we get what we pay for.

Media

Does Gun Violence Demand More Graphic Images in the News?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on July 7, 2022

Should we be forced to see the bloodied bodies? Recent mass shootings involving children have raised questions about how graphic the news coverage ought to be.

Should we be forced to see the bloodied bodies? Recent mass shootings involving children have raised questions about how graphic the news coverage ought to be.

Media

Musk and Rogan: Neither Is Helping Fix What Ails Us Online

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on May 5, 2022

Will Musk's Twitter takeover and Rogan's disinformation make it harder for the rest of us to work toward a digital environment that encourages empathy and healthy engagement?

Will Musk's Twitter takeover and Rogan's disinformation make it harder for the rest of us to work toward a digital environment that encourages empathy and healthy engagement?

Media

Pandemic Fatigue and a Search for Authenticity Are Reshaping the News

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on January 18, 2022

Pandemic fatigue is one factor in an ongoing shift in how journalists produce news and how audiences consume it, reshuffling our relationship with social media platforms.

Pandemic fatigue is one factor in an ongoing shift in how journalists produce news and how audiences consume it, reshuffling our relationship with social media platforms.

Media

Justifying Every Kind of Self-expression Undermines the Value of Free Speech

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on June 14, 2021

When it comes to hate speech and the disregard of its harmful effects, the hard-wiring of journalists to champion free speech no matter what appears to be part of the problem.

When it comes to hate speech and the disregard of its harmful effects, the hard-wiring of journalists to champion free speech no matter what appears to be part of the problem.

Media

Relying on Social Media for Your News? Not a Good Idea.

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on December 16, 2020

Our overreliance on our social media feeds for news can cloud our moral judgments about journalism, encourage smug complacency, and warp our engagement with the world.

Our overreliance on our social media feeds for news can cloud our moral judgments about journalism, encourage smug complacency, and warp our engagement with the world.

Media

How Might Journalists Quote the Person and Not the Disease?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on July 30, 2020

The more outlandish claims by Kanye West reminds us that journalists must be careful to spotlight the person, not the disease.

The more outlandish claims by Kanye West reminds us that journalists must be careful to spotlight the person, not the disease.

Media

Do Journalists "Normalize" Something by Covering It?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on May 19, 2020

Upset that the news media are wrongly "normalizing" a topic that offends you by spotlighting it? Be careful about your assumptions regarding journalists' intentions.

Upset that the news media are wrongly "normalizing" a topic that offends you by spotlighting it? Be careful about your assumptions regarding journalists' intentions.

Diet

Is Your News Diet a Healthy One?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on January 14, 2020

Do we have moral and psychological reasons to cultivate a healthy news diet? Yes, we do.

Do we have moral and psychological reasons to cultivate a healthy news diet? Yes, we do.

Media

Ethics and "Synthetic Media"

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on September 17, 2019

People created by AI algorithms are informing us, entertaining us, and selling us things. How can we make sure moral values shape the technology and not the other way around?

People created by AI algorithms are informing us, entertaining us, and selling us things. How can we make sure moral values shape the technology and not the other way around?

Empathy

The Dilemma of Empathy and the News

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on May 9, 2019

Journalists often aim at evoking empathy, but that can backfire. Instead of spotlighting the personal, stories can use a solidarity frame to show how we all have a stake in issues.

Journalists often aim at evoking empathy, but that can backfire. Instead of spotlighting the personal, stories can use a solidarity frame to show how we all have a stake in issues.

Bias

Virtual Justice: How Big Data Could Undermine Society

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on January 18, 2019

We're all "commodities" online. But we're finally having a real debate over data ownership, and companies are realizing the dangers of socially irresponsible uses of algorithms.

We're all "commodities" online. But we're finally having a real debate over data ownership, and companies are realizing the dangers of socially irresponsible uses of algorithms.

Media

Are Moral Concerns Starting to Drive Our Digital Media Talk?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on June 13, 2018

Moral questions are now front and center in the media technology debate. How might we move beyond me-centered behavior online?

Moral questions are now front and center in the media technology debate. How might we move beyond me-centered behavior online?

Media

Do Media Organizations Have a Moral Life?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on January 30, 2018

Clicks, hits, and other streaming data: Many factors likely shape the 'moral culture' of news organizations

Clicks, hits, and other streaming data: Many factors likely shape the 'moral culture' of news organizations

Media

When Should Journalists Put Down the Mic and Lend Aid?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on September 7, 2017

When is it a moral imperative for journalists covering hurricanes and other disasters to intervene to help victims, and when is it mere grandstanding?

When is it a moral imperative for journalists covering hurricanes and other disasters to intervene to help victims, and when is it mere grandstanding?

Memory

Does Watching Video Hurt Our Moral Judgments About the News?

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on August 1, 2016

We assume that in news, streaming video is always better than still images, but is that true? Video can undermine our best moral judgments by making it hard to access memory.

We assume that in news, streaming video is always better than still images, but is that true? Video can undermine our best moral judgments by making it hard to access memory.

Media

Digital Media Lay Bare the Ethical Hazards of Political News

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on March 28, 2016

Frustrated over the state of political journalism? So are journalists working amid industry-wide economic anxiety and reflecting on ethical lapses.

Frustrated over the state of political journalism? So are journalists working amid industry-wide economic anxiety and reflecting on ethical lapses.

Consumer Behavior

Advertisers Still Suffer From "Moral Myopia"

Patrick L. Plaisance Ph.D. on November 8, 2015

Why do we see so much ethically questionable advertising and marketing—even when industry groups have embraced their own robust ethics codes?

Why do we see so much ethically questionable advertising and marketing—even when industry groups have embraced their own robust ethics codes?